needhelp!
04-16 03:33 PM
get involved in your Texas state chapter when you finally make your move.
Flowermound is great, but Plano rocks! ;)
Flowermound is great, but Plano rocks! ;)
wallpaper 1988 Ford Escort Car Review
coolest_me
05-07 11:57 AM
I took the appointment with Dr for Today. Will keep the thread updated ..
HereIComeGC
11-14 12:08 PM
sundeep
as far similar job is concern you can check this below site
http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/15-1031.00
Summary Report for:
15-1031.00 - Computer Software Engineers, Applications
Develop, create, and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions. Design software or customize software for client use with the aim of optimizing operational efficiency. May analyze and design databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.
Sample of reported job titles: Software Engineer, Application Integration Engineer, Programmer Analyst, Computer Consultant, Software Architect, Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, Business Systems Analyst, Programmer, Software Analyst
That was a fantastic link!!! Thanks!!
as far similar job is concern you can check this below site
http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/15-1031.00
Summary Report for:
15-1031.00 - Computer Software Engineers, Applications
Develop, create, and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions. Design software or customize software for client use with the aim of optimizing operational efficiency. May analyze and design databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.
Sample of reported job titles: Software Engineer, Application Integration Engineer, Programmer Analyst, Computer Consultant, Software Architect, Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, Business Systems Analyst, Programmer, Software Analyst
That was a fantastic link!!! Thanks!!
2011 Nineties Ford Escort GT
aka
10-30 07:04 PM
Hi, Why did you ask me rename the thread with a broader name?, it is June 07 filers - General Tracker, seems broader enough.
Thanks.
People might mistake this as a thread for people who filed on June 7th, simply because there are other threads out there for people who filed in specific date ranges. I believe you meant June 2007 in your title, right?
Thanks.
People might mistake this as a thread for people who filed on June 7th, simply because there are other threads out there for people who filed in specific date ranges. I believe you meant June 2007 in your title, right?
more...
Almond
01-27 12:54 AM
Ah, thank you for posting this, I have been checking that link desperately forever and it hadn't changed. Question to those who know better, if my Notice Date is May 15, and the "processing time frame" for I-485's is July 19, what does that mean for me? Am I stuck in some kind of check or something? Thanks in advance.
doubleyou
05-18 03:30 PM
Rvendra, Looks like we are in the same boat.
1)Did you check with the Ombudsman too?
2)I believe that there is a no to call the FBI and verify, Does any body know it and tried it?
1)Did you check with the Ombudsman too?
2)I believe that there is a no to call the FBI and verify, Does any body know it and tried it?
more...
immigrationvoice1
03-06 02:21 PM
I filed my I485 mid 2003. I missed the boat end of 2004, some where in 2005 and then in 2007 when my dates were current. My pd is in 2002. People who filed with me have been approved and they are ready for citizenship next year :mad:, while I got my 6th EAD approved
You mean all these years you were stuck in name check or something ? Are you EB3 India ? 6th EAD is too many EADs to believe....wish you get your GC soon.
You mean all these years you were stuck in name check or something ? Are you EB3 India ? 6th EAD is too many EADs to believe....wish you get your GC soon.
2010 FORD ESCORT EXP FRONT GRILL
kawosa
08-19 12:59 PM
Thanks, I work in the credit derivatives area. Developing IT infrastructure for pricing and doing risk analysis for single names and multi-names credit derivatives. What about you?
started teaching in the same uni after my MBA... thought will get into a phD prog or fninsh the CFA the get into investment analysis,...
5 years have passed, CFA was over long ago.... but just waiting for GC...
started teaching in the same uni after my MBA... thought will get into a phD prog or fninsh the CFA the get into investment analysis,...
5 years have passed, CFA was over long ago.... but just waiting for GC...
more...
stuckinmuck
02-11 07:01 PM
gcformeornot, I don't see what's incorrect in my post. The point about intra-company transfer was implicit in my post since everyone knows L1 is for such transfers. So that should have been understood without being mentioned. My point was that the denial for extension could have been due to the USCIS looking carefully at the job description again and determining that it wasn't really a specialty occupation. So I was particularly pointing out the 'job description' that goes with an L1 visa. I was also saying the same thing as you i.e. the job should be that of an expert in a particular domain which is not readily available. For example, why would a company transfer a java programmer instead of directly hiring one in the U.S?
It's another thing that TCS, Infosys and the likes of those have abused this visa and destroyed its credibility. That issue needs to be looked at by the lawmakers and it is in genuine employers/employees' interests.
It's another thing that TCS, Infosys and the likes of those have abused this visa and destroyed its credibility. That issue needs to be looked at by the lawmakers and it is in genuine employers/employees' interests.
hair Ford Escort GT Hatchback.
plassey
09-05 12:01 PM
What's the big deal, if it is not this year may be in next few years another bill will be introduced. Bills will kept being introduced and some day one of those bill will pass.
Why should I worry about it? Do you really think you can make a difference?
Even the answer is yes, people with late priority dates should be more worried as they are the ones who will get their GC in several years. If they are not worried, why are you?
You know there is a saying that goes in my country, you can bring horse to water but you can't make him drink.
So dude take it easy... Even though in 5-10 years but folks will get their GC (of course assuming other things remain constant)
Why should I worry about it? Do you really think you can make a difference?
Even the answer is yes, people with late priority dates should be more worried as they are the ones who will get their GC in several years. If they are not worried, why are you?
You know there is a saying that goes in my country, you can bring horse to water but you can't make him drink.
So dude take it easy... Even though in 5-10 years but folks will get their GC (of course assuming other things remain constant)
more...
roseball
11-19 12:45 PM
i am going for the h1 stamping first time . in form 156 how long do you intend to stay in usa ? for that i wrote 3 years . is it ok ? and my sister is also in usa .so for one question i wrote the same thing because we should be honest thats why.
here what my question is will the interview people think that i wont come back to home coutry because of 3years and sister ?
should i take any guarantee supporting letter from my parents if yes how is the format ? please answer with your experiences? i appriciate your help .
This shouldnt be a problem as H1 is a dual intent visa.....Its not like F1 or Visitors Visa where you have to show intent to return home......You should be fine.....
here what my question is will the interview people think that i wont come back to home coutry because of 3years and sister ?
should i take any guarantee supporting letter from my parents if yes how is the format ? please answer with your experiences? i appriciate your help .
This shouldnt be a problem as H1 is a dual intent visa.....Its not like F1 or Visitors Visa where you have to show intent to return home......You should be fine.....
hot 1985-1988 FORD ESCORT GL GT LX
snathan
05-29 09:17 PM
Get a good attorney to solve this issue as practically speaking, you were out of status from period of 2006-2008 as your Company A's Approval overrided your university H1.
USCIS is expecting that you submitted Company A's Approval for transfer instead of University's H1B Approval
This is not a legal advise. Please get in touch with a immigration attorney.
I dont think is correct and its misleading. I dont think one company's H1 approval will override other H1B.
USCIS is expecting that you submitted Company A's Approval for transfer instead of University's H1B Approval
This is not a legal advise. Please get in touch with a immigration attorney.
I dont think is correct and its misleading. I dont think one company's H1 approval will override other H1B.
more...
house 1lowscort#39;s Ford Escort GT
apb
09-11 02:43 PM
We will get some idea on how many are still pending.
tattoo 1985-1988 FORD ESCORT GL GT LX
chanduv23
12-08 06:45 PM
Come on folks, time for some contributions.....
more...
pictures 1988 Ford Mustang GT - Match
permfiling
10-18 08:35 PM
Thank you all for your replies.
My attorney is in NY, he said he cannot come to CA for my interview.
Can I take a local attorney just for the interview purpose?
And we have a 1 year old kid, can we take kid to the interview?
Hi GGC,
Die your online status anytime show the following message ?
On Oct 18, 2010, we transferred this I485 APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS to our LINCOLN, NE location for processing because they now have jurisdiction over the case. We sent you a notice of this transfer. Please follow any instructions on this notice. You will be notified by mail when a decision is made, or if the office needs something from you. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.
During this step, USCIS initiates the background checks of the applicant/petitioner and identifies issues that may need to be addressed either during an interview or by asking the applicant/petitioner to submit additional information or documentation. USCIS reviews the applicant's/petitioner's criminal history, determines if there are national security concerns that need to be addressed, and reviews the application/petition for fraud indicators
If you have filed an I-485, I-589, I-751, N-400, I-90, I-821, I-131 or I-765, you can expect to receive an appointment notice to appear at an Application Support Center to have your fingerprints and/or photographs taken. The timing of your appointment is determined by the number of applicants ahead of you that also need a biometric appointment. We try to schedule biometric appointments as quickly as possible and in most cases you will receive your appointment notice within 30 days of submitting your application. We will send your appointment notice approximately 14 days ahead of your scheduled appointment. It is important that you keep this appointment. If absolutely necessary, you can request that your appointment be rescheduled however, please be aware that rescheduling may delay the processing of your application. Please follow the instructions on your appointment notice if you need to reschedule. Occasionally, you may receive an appointment notice to appear at an Application Support Center to have your fingerprints taken when you have filed a form other than those listed above. In these situations, you may receive your appointment notice more than 30 days after submitting your application or petition.
My attorney is in NY, he said he cannot come to CA for my interview.
Can I take a local attorney just for the interview purpose?
And we have a 1 year old kid, can we take kid to the interview?
Hi GGC,
Die your online status anytime show the following message ?
On Oct 18, 2010, we transferred this I485 APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS to our LINCOLN, NE location for processing because they now have jurisdiction over the case. We sent you a notice of this transfer. Please follow any instructions on this notice. You will be notified by mail when a decision is made, or if the office needs something from you. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.
During this step, USCIS initiates the background checks of the applicant/petitioner and identifies issues that may need to be addressed either during an interview or by asking the applicant/petitioner to submit additional information or documentation. USCIS reviews the applicant's/petitioner's criminal history, determines if there are national security concerns that need to be addressed, and reviews the application/petition for fraud indicators
If you have filed an I-485, I-589, I-751, N-400, I-90, I-821, I-131 or I-765, you can expect to receive an appointment notice to appear at an Application Support Center to have your fingerprints and/or photographs taken. The timing of your appointment is determined by the number of applicants ahead of you that also need a biometric appointment. We try to schedule biometric appointments as quickly as possible and in most cases you will receive your appointment notice within 30 days of submitting your application. We will send your appointment notice approximately 14 days ahead of your scheduled appointment. It is important that you keep this appointment. If absolutely necessary, you can request that your appointment be rescheduled however, please be aware that rescheduling may delay the processing of your application. Please follow the instructions on your appointment notice if you need to reschedule. Occasionally, you may receive an appointment notice to appear at an Application Support Center to have your fingerprints taken when you have filed a form other than those listed above. In these situations, you may receive your appointment notice more than 30 days after submitting your application or petition.
dresses My cars:81 Escort GT;87 Laser
whiteStallion
10-17 11:52 PM
If you open a company on EAD, you are eligible for any positions that pay by W2 right?
If you have an EAD, you can take up any job which pays by W2... Opening a company has nothing to do with it.
If you are opening a company and you do Corp to Corp with any other vendor or Consultancy, then they will pay your corporation...and you get paid. From your side that is business income and you can deduct your expenses.
If you have an EAD, you can take up any job which pays by W2... Opening a company has nothing to do with it.
If you are opening a company and you do Corp to Corp with any other vendor or Consultancy, then they will pay your corporation...and you get paid. From your side that is business income and you can deduct your expenses.
more...
makeup 1991 Ford Escort 2 Dr GT
anilkumar0902
08-26 11:42 PM
Thanks for the reply. So we don't need to disclose to employer that we are on EAD.
AND
Also can employer discrimnate EAD, for ex: they won't hire people on EAD, can they do that legally?
EAD is in itself establishes a person's legal work eligibility. Nowadays, many employers and their HR departments are very aware of EAD usage. It shouldn't be an issue.
Just chill...Good Luck.
Cheers
AND
Also can employer discrimnate EAD, for ex: they won't hire people on EAD, can they do that legally?
EAD is in itself establishes a person's legal work eligibility. Nowadays, many employers and their HR departments are very aware of EAD usage. It shouldn't be an issue.
Just chill...Good Luck.
Cheers
girlfriend 1985-1988 Ford Escort GT;
go_gc_way
10-30 10:54 PM
I was reading the USA Today articles and I have a suggestion...guys please try to do spell check before you submit to such forums. It looks bad on us especially when we call ourselves skilled immigrants.
One glaring error that I saw was this guy with a MBA from Stanford Univ and he wrote it as "Standford Univ"......Is there a univ called "Standford"???? I tried googling it but did not find it...I hope it was not somebody from our group....
It could be key board of the computer not working right .. ;)
I will not worry too much about it . .. For those who do not have lot time to check spellings, I would suggest to put a disclaimer on the top, "you may encounter spell mistakes due to key boadd not functioning right." :D
One glaring error that I saw was this guy with a MBA from Stanford Univ and he wrote it as "Standford Univ"......Is there a univ called "Standford"???? I tried googling it but did not find it...I hope it was not somebody from our group....
It could be key board of the computer not working right .. ;)
I will not worry too much about it . .. For those who do not have lot time to check spellings, I would suggest to put a disclaimer on the top, "you may encounter spell mistakes due to key boadd not functioning right." :D
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calaway42
10-04 12:15 AM
hey thanx for writing so much to help me :D hey another question.. when i make the rentangle .. do i use rectangle marquee tool or rectangle tool..? I am confused on that one cuz some tutes say.."click on your rectangle margquee tool to make a square and fill it in with blah blah" .. and based on my "Paint" experience I used rectangle tool :q:
GodHelpUs
03-21 10:48 AM
I am really shocked on looking at this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/nyregion/21immigrant.html?hp
An Agent, a Green Card, and a Demand for Sex
Article Tools Sponsored By
By NINA BERNSTEIN
Published: March 21, 2008
No problems so far, the immigration agent told the American citizen and his 22-year-old Colombian wife at her green card interview in December. After he stapled one of their wedding photos to her application for legal permanent residency, he had just one more question: What was her cellphone number?
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Uli Seit for The New York Times
Isaac R. Baichu, 46, an adjudicator for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, was arrested after he met with a green card applicant at the Flagship Restaurant, a diner in Queens. He is charged with coercing oral sex from her.
Audio A Secret Recording
Enlarge This Image
Uli Seit for The New York Times
The Flagship Restaurant, where Mr. Baichu met with a green card applicant.
The calls from the agent started three days later. He hinted, she said, at his power to derail her life and deport her relatives, alluding to a brush she had with the law before her marriage. He summoned her to a private meeting. And at noon on Dec. 21, in a parked car on Queens Boulevard, he named his price � not realizing that she was recording everything on the cellphone in her purse.
�I want sex,� he said on the recording. �One or two times. That�s all. You get your green card. You won�t have to see me anymore.�
She reluctantly agreed to a future meeting. But when she tried to leave his car, he demanded oral sex �now,� to �know that you�re serious.� And despite her protests, she said, he got his way.
The 16-minute recording, which the woman first took to The New York Times and then to the Queens district attorney, suggests the vast power of low-level immigration law enforcers, and a growing desperation on the part of immigrants seeking legal status. The aftermath, which included the arrest of an immigration agent last week, underscores the difficulty and danger of making a complaint, even in the rare case when abuse of power may have been caught on tape.
No one knows how widespread sexual blackmail is, but the case echoes other instances of sexual coercion that have surfaced in recent years, including agents criminally charged in Atlanta, Miami and Santa Ana, Calif. And it raises broader questions about the system�s vulnerability to corruption at a time when millions of noncitizens live in a kind of legal no-man�s land, increasingly fearful of seeking the law�s protection.
The agent arrested last week, Isaac R. Baichu, 46, himself an immigrant from Guyana, handled some 8,000 green card applications during his three years as an adjudicator in the Garden City, N.Y., office of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the federal Department of Homeland Security. He pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges of coercing the young woman to perform oral sex, and of promising to help her secure immigration papers in exchange for further sexual favors. If convicted, he will face up to seven years in prison.
His agency has suspended him with pay, and the inspector general of Homeland Security is reviewing his other cases, a spokesman said Wednesday. Prosecutors, who say they recorded a meeting between Mr. Baichu and the woman on March 11 at which he made similar demands for sex, urge any other victims to come forward.
Money, not sex, is the more common currency of corruption in immigration, but according to Congressional testimony in 2006 by Michael Maxwell, former director of the agency�s internal investigations, more than 3,000 backlogged complaints of employee misconduct had gone uninvestigated for lack of staff, including 528 involving criminal allegations.
The agency says it has tripled its investigative staff since then, and counts only 165 serious complaints pending. But it stopped posting an e-mail address and phone number for such complaints last year, said Jan Lane, chief of security and integrity, because it lacks the staff to cull the thousands of mostly irrelevant messages that resulted. Immigrants, she advised, should report wrongdoing to any law enforcement agency they trust.
The young woman in Queens, whose name is being withheld because the authorities consider her the victim of a sex crime, did not even tell her husband what had happened. Two weeks after the meeting in the car, finding no way to make a confidential complaint to the immigration agency and afraid to go to the police, she and two older female relatives took the recording to The Times.
Reasons to Worry
A slim, shy woman who looks like a teenager, she said she had spent recent months baby-sitting for relatives in Queens, crying over the deaths of her two brothers back in Cali, Colombia, and longing for the right stamp in her passport � one that would let her return to the United States if she visited her family.
She came to the United States on a tourist visa in 2004 and overstayed. When she married an American citizen a year ago, the law allowed her to apply to �adjust� her illegal status. But unless her green card application was approved, she could not visit her parents or her brothers� graves and then legally re-enter the United States. And if her application was denied, she would face deportation.
She had another reason to be fearful, and not only for herself. About 15 months ago, she said, an acquaintance hired her and two female relatives in New York to carry $12,000 in cash to the bank. The three women, all living in the country illegally, were arrested on the street by customs officers apparently acting on a tip in a money-laundering investigation. After determining that the women had no useful information, the officers released them.
But the closed investigation file had showed up in the computer when she applied for a green card, Mr. Baichu told her in December; until he obtained the file and dealt with it, her application would not be approved. If she defied him, she feared, he could summon immigration enforcement agents to take her relatives to detention.
So instead of calling the police, she turned on the video recorder in her cellphone, put the phone in her purse and walked to meet the agent. Two family members said they watched anxiously from their parked car as she disappeared behind the tinted windows of his red Lexus.
�We were worried that the guy would take off, take her away and do something to her,� the woman�s widowed sister-in-law said in Spanish.
As the recorder captured the agent�s words and a lilting Guyanese accent, he laid out his terms in an easy, almost paternal style. He would not ask too much, he said: sex �once or twice,� visits to his home in the Bronx, perhaps a link to other Colombians who needed his help with their immigration problems.
In shaky English, the woman expressed reluctance, and questioned how she could be sure he would keep his word.
�If I do it, it�s like very hard for me, because I have my husband, and I really fall in love with him,� she said.
The agent insisted that she had to trust him. �I wouldn�t ask you to do something for me if I can�t do something for you, right?� he said, and reasoned, �Nobody going to help you for nothing,� noting that she had no money.
He described himself as the single father of a 10-year-old daughter, telling her, �I need love, too,� and predicting, �You will get to like me because I�m a nice guy.�
Repeatedly, she responded �O.K.,� without conviction. At one point he thanked her for showing up, saying, �I know you feel very scared.�
Finally, she tried to leave. �Let me go because I tell my husband I come home,� she said.
His reply, the recording shows, was a blunt demand for oral sex.
�Right now? No!� she protested. �No, no, right now I can�t.�
He insisted, cajoled, even empathized. �I came from a different country, too,� he said. �I got my green card just like you.�
Then, she said, he grabbed her. During the speechless minute that follows on the recording, she said she yielded to his demand out of fear that he would use his authority against her.
How Much Corruption?
The charges against Mr. Baichu, who became a United States citizen in 1991 and earns roughly $50,000 a year, appear to be part of a larger pattern, according to government records and interviews.
Mr. Maxwell, the immigration agency�s former chief investigator, told Congress in 2006 that internal corruption was �rampant,� and that employees faced constant temptations to commit crime.
�It is only a small step from granting a discretionary waiver of an eligibility rule to asking for a favor or taking a bribe in exchange for granting that waiver,� he contended. �Once an employee learns he can get away with low-level corruption and still advance up the ranks, he or she becomes more brazen.�
�Despite our best efforts there are always people ready to use their position for personal gain or personal pleasure,� said Chris Bentley, a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Services. �Our responsibility is to ferret them out.�
When the Queens woman came to The Times with her recording on Jan. 3, she was afraid of retaliation from the agent, and uncertain about making a criminal complaint, though she had an appointment the next day at the Queens district attorney�s office.
Mr. Baichu was arrested as he emerged from the diner and headed to his car, wearing much gold and diamond jewelry, prosecutors said. Later released on $15,000 bail, Mr. Baichu referred calls for comment to his lawyer, Sally Attia, who said he did not have authority to grant or deny green card petitions without his supervisor�s approval.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/nyregion/21immigrant.html?hp
An Agent, a Green Card, and a Demand for Sex
Article Tools Sponsored By
By NINA BERNSTEIN
Published: March 21, 2008
No problems so far, the immigration agent told the American citizen and his 22-year-old Colombian wife at her green card interview in December. After he stapled one of their wedding photos to her application for legal permanent residency, he had just one more question: What was her cellphone number?
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Uli Seit for The New York Times
Isaac R. Baichu, 46, an adjudicator for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, was arrested after he met with a green card applicant at the Flagship Restaurant, a diner in Queens. He is charged with coercing oral sex from her.
Audio A Secret Recording
Enlarge This Image
Uli Seit for The New York Times
The Flagship Restaurant, where Mr. Baichu met with a green card applicant.
The calls from the agent started three days later. He hinted, she said, at his power to derail her life and deport her relatives, alluding to a brush she had with the law before her marriage. He summoned her to a private meeting. And at noon on Dec. 21, in a parked car on Queens Boulevard, he named his price � not realizing that she was recording everything on the cellphone in her purse.
�I want sex,� he said on the recording. �One or two times. That�s all. You get your green card. You won�t have to see me anymore.�
She reluctantly agreed to a future meeting. But when she tried to leave his car, he demanded oral sex �now,� to �know that you�re serious.� And despite her protests, she said, he got his way.
The 16-minute recording, which the woman first took to The New York Times and then to the Queens district attorney, suggests the vast power of low-level immigration law enforcers, and a growing desperation on the part of immigrants seeking legal status. The aftermath, which included the arrest of an immigration agent last week, underscores the difficulty and danger of making a complaint, even in the rare case when abuse of power may have been caught on tape.
No one knows how widespread sexual blackmail is, but the case echoes other instances of sexual coercion that have surfaced in recent years, including agents criminally charged in Atlanta, Miami and Santa Ana, Calif. And it raises broader questions about the system�s vulnerability to corruption at a time when millions of noncitizens live in a kind of legal no-man�s land, increasingly fearful of seeking the law�s protection.
The agent arrested last week, Isaac R. Baichu, 46, himself an immigrant from Guyana, handled some 8,000 green card applications during his three years as an adjudicator in the Garden City, N.Y., office of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the federal Department of Homeland Security. He pleaded not guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges of coercing the young woman to perform oral sex, and of promising to help her secure immigration papers in exchange for further sexual favors. If convicted, he will face up to seven years in prison.
His agency has suspended him with pay, and the inspector general of Homeland Security is reviewing his other cases, a spokesman said Wednesday. Prosecutors, who say they recorded a meeting between Mr. Baichu and the woman on March 11 at which he made similar demands for sex, urge any other victims to come forward.
Money, not sex, is the more common currency of corruption in immigration, but according to Congressional testimony in 2006 by Michael Maxwell, former director of the agency�s internal investigations, more than 3,000 backlogged complaints of employee misconduct had gone uninvestigated for lack of staff, including 528 involving criminal allegations.
The agency says it has tripled its investigative staff since then, and counts only 165 serious complaints pending. But it stopped posting an e-mail address and phone number for such complaints last year, said Jan Lane, chief of security and integrity, because it lacks the staff to cull the thousands of mostly irrelevant messages that resulted. Immigrants, she advised, should report wrongdoing to any law enforcement agency they trust.
The young woman in Queens, whose name is being withheld because the authorities consider her the victim of a sex crime, did not even tell her husband what had happened. Two weeks after the meeting in the car, finding no way to make a confidential complaint to the immigration agency and afraid to go to the police, she and two older female relatives took the recording to The Times.
Reasons to Worry
A slim, shy woman who looks like a teenager, she said she had spent recent months baby-sitting for relatives in Queens, crying over the deaths of her two brothers back in Cali, Colombia, and longing for the right stamp in her passport � one that would let her return to the United States if she visited her family.
She came to the United States on a tourist visa in 2004 and overstayed. When she married an American citizen a year ago, the law allowed her to apply to �adjust� her illegal status. But unless her green card application was approved, she could not visit her parents or her brothers� graves and then legally re-enter the United States. And if her application was denied, she would face deportation.
She had another reason to be fearful, and not only for herself. About 15 months ago, she said, an acquaintance hired her and two female relatives in New York to carry $12,000 in cash to the bank. The three women, all living in the country illegally, were arrested on the street by customs officers apparently acting on a tip in a money-laundering investigation. After determining that the women had no useful information, the officers released them.
But the closed investigation file had showed up in the computer when she applied for a green card, Mr. Baichu told her in December; until he obtained the file and dealt with it, her application would not be approved. If she defied him, she feared, he could summon immigration enforcement agents to take her relatives to detention.
So instead of calling the police, she turned on the video recorder in her cellphone, put the phone in her purse and walked to meet the agent. Two family members said they watched anxiously from their parked car as she disappeared behind the tinted windows of his red Lexus.
�We were worried that the guy would take off, take her away and do something to her,� the woman�s widowed sister-in-law said in Spanish.
As the recorder captured the agent�s words and a lilting Guyanese accent, he laid out his terms in an easy, almost paternal style. He would not ask too much, he said: sex �once or twice,� visits to his home in the Bronx, perhaps a link to other Colombians who needed his help with their immigration problems.
In shaky English, the woman expressed reluctance, and questioned how she could be sure he would keep his word.
�If I do it, it�s like very hard for me, because I have my husband, and I really fall in love with him,� she said.
The agent insisted that she had to trust him. �I wouldn�t ask you to do something for me if I can�t do something for you, right?� he said, and reasoned, �Nobody going to help you for nothing,� noting that she had no money.
He described himself as the single father of a 10-year-old daughter, telling her, �I need love, too,� and predicting, �You will get to like me because I�m a nice guy.�
Repeatedly, she responded �O.K.,� without conviction. At one point he thanked her for showing up, saying, �I know you feel very scared.�
Finally, she tried to leave. �Let me go because I tell my husband I come home,� she said.
His reply, the recording shows, was a blunt demand for oral sex.
�Right now? No!� she protested. �No, no, right now I can�t.�
He insisted, cajoled, even empathized. �I came from a different country, too,� he said. �I got my green card just like you.�
Then, she said, he grabbed her. During the speechless minute that follows on the recording, she said she yielded to his demand out of fear that he would use his authority against her.
How Much Corruption?
The charges against Mr. Baichu, who became a United States citizen in 1991 and earns roughly $50,000 a year, appear to be part of a larger pattern, according to government records and interviews.
Mr. Maxwell, the immigration agency�s former chief investigator, told Congress in 2006 that internal corruption was �rampant,� and that employees faced constant temptations to commit crime.
�It is only a small step from granting a discretionary waiver of an eligibility rule to asking for a favor or taking a bribe in exchange for granting that waiver,� he contended. �Once an employee learns he can get away with low-level corruption and still advance up the ranks, he or she becomes more brazen.�
�Despite our best efforts there are always people ready to use their position for personal gain or personal pleasure,� said Chris Bentley, a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Services. �Our responsibility is to ferret them out.�
When the Queens woman came to The Times with her recording on Jan. 3, she was afraid of retaliation from the agent, and uncertain about making a criminal complaint, though she had an appointment the next day at the Queens district attorney�s office.
Mr. Baichu was arrested as he emerged from the diner and headed to his car, wearing much gold and diamond jewelry, prosecutors said. Later released on $15,000 bail, Mr. Baichu referred calls for comment to his lawyer, Sally Attia, who said he did not have authority to grant or deny green card petitions without his supervisor�s approval.
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10-08 05:48 PM
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